Fight Off the Winter Chills with a Soak in a Hot Spring

It’s not like we’ve had a tough winter – so far, anyway. Nothing like the winter we had last year. Remember all that snow?

Still, depending on your mood and tolerance for cold, the temperatures might make you want to bundle up. But there’s another way to keep warm this season: visit a local hot spring.

Fortunately for Magic Valley residents, there are several springs from which to choose:

1000 Springs Resort, located along U.S. Highway 30 near Hagerman, is a riverside facility with geothermal mineral pools. It also has an RV park, tent campsites and cabins. It is described as being “quaint, historic” and “good for kids.” Indoor pool hours are 11 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. Tuesday-Thursday; 11 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. Friday-Sunday; and 12 to 6 p.m. Sunday. The facility will be closed March 5-12 for maintenance. For questions: 208-837-4987

Banbury Hot Springs, located at 1128 Banbury Road near Buhl, has been open since 1920 and offers a 120x60-foot swimming pool and five private baths that, according to its website, “are heated by the artesian mineral water that bubbles from the earth at 138 degrees and is cooled to a very comfortable temperature with cold spring water from the Snake River aquifer.” The site is open 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Saturday. For questions: 208-543-6002.

Miracle Hot Springs, located off U.S. Highway 30 about 1.5 miles from Banbury Hot Springs, is described on its website as being an odorless “Geothermal Oasis in the Desert.” It is open year-round from 8 a.m. to 11 p.m. Monday-Saturday. You can even order a massage. For questions:call the same number for Banbury at 208-543-6002.

There's another place to relax in warm water, but you can't do that until May. Nat-Soo-Pah Hot Springs & RV Park, located on U.S. Highway 93 about 16 miles south of Twin Falls, offers a hot tub and soak pool, but the facility doesn't open until May 1. You can make reservations now, though. To do so, leave a message at the following number: 208-655-4337.